{"id":10311,"date":"2017-10-13T07:00:52","date_gmt":"2017-10-13T11:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/4h\/?p=10311"},"modified":"2025-11-24T14:08:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T19:08:15","slug":"4-h-fix-4-h-clubs-1-2-3-4-h-clubs-for-you-and-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/4h\/2017\/10\/13\/4-h-fix-4-h-clubs-1-2-3-4-h-clubs-for-you-and-me\/","title":{"rendered":"4-H Fix: 4-H Clubs, 1 2 3, 4-H Clubs for You and ME!"},"content":{"rendered":"

4-H Clubs, 1 2 3, 4-H Clubs for You and ME!<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

By Ron Drum, Statewide 4-H Program Professional\/Associate Director 4-H Resource Development<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Illustration<\/a>
A 4-H Club meeting as depicted on the original Boys and Girls Clubs Charter issued by the USDA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Almost every 4-H Club meeting I\u2019ve ever attended began like this: After 2-3 taps of a gavel, a teenager says, \u201cI call this meeting to order! Please stand for the pledges to the flags.\u201d Everything else is then drowned out by the scrapping of the chairs being pushed back as the members all stand to recite the American and 4-H Pledges. You could almost put money on it.<\/p>\n

My first exposure to 4-H was via a 4-H Club meeting. I\u2019ll never forget walking into the meeting hall upstairs in the Butler Township Fire Station, Drums, Pennsylvania, and seeing a bunch of kids sitting theatre style in the middle of the room, all looking at these four kids sitting at a table in front of them, facing them. Obviously they were doing something in earnest and quite involved, voting and making decisions and discussing topics. What caught my attention, even as an eight year old, was how they were doing all this without input from adults. All the adults, parents and such, were lined along the walls, chatting. I remember at one point the kid at the table banging his gavel and asking the adults to please be quiet so the club could carry on their business! Kids telling adults what to do — unheard of in my young world. Kids being responsible for themselves — I thought it was just GREAT! I wanted IN!<\/p>\n

THAT is the essence of 4-H; young people learning to be responsible, to be leaders, and it all starts at the 4-H Club meeting. Of course, Maine youth today can be involved with 4-H in many ways — after-school, in-school, camps — but clubs are still the standard. To learn more about 4-H Clubs in Maine today check out Maine 4-H Clubs<\/a> and 4-H Spin Clubs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Indeed, it ALL started with clubs. The 4-H Program, nationally, measures its beginnings by when the first club met. The first club meeting we can document was in 1902, led by A.B. Graham<\/a> of Ohio, thus we identify 1902 as that first year of 4-H.<\/p>\n

Now before we go too much further into this story let me just warn you that this is a rather long post; much longer than they say blog posts should be. And this part here at the beginning, well, I admit it, it is a tad bit boring. But keep reading. I promise, this thing will get better as it goes, and if you do keep pushing through this post, you\u2019ll soon be glad you did. No really. Promise! Anyway, enough for the commercial, now back to the story.<\/p>\n

Extension was created as a way for the university to extend its teachings into the communities. Maine\u2019s first Extension Director, Dr. Leon S. Merrill, often pointed out that it was Extension\u2019s job to gather the knowledge gained through university research, Demonstration Farms, and Experiment Stations, and \u201ctake these truths out to the farms and set them at work!\u201d Easier said than done when the farmers resisted the new ideas.<\/p>\n

However, young people, with less connection to tradition and more interest in performing better at the fair, listened to the new ideas. The Agents found it was more efficient to provide the information to groups rather than individuals so clubs were created. Clubs gave the young people a sense of belonging and played to the natural competitiveness of the young people. And the kids listened and learned and did better, not only better than last year, but better than their PARENTS! NOW the parents wanted to hear these new ideas, too! Clubs were helping Extension get its job done. Sagadahoc Agent Harold Shaw said in his plan for 1915-16 that \u201cin every way possible, steps will be taken to organize Boys\u2019 and Girls\u2019 Agricultural Clubs.\u201d<\/p>\n

But in the early days, before a track record of success was established, the club idea was met with resistance. As happened in many places and states, an Aroostook County 4-H Volunteer, Mrs. Harriett Pratt of Macwahoc, noted in 1916, \u201cI found the children ready and willing but the parents strongly opposed.\u201d<\/p>\n

So county and state contests and fairs were put on where the young people exhibited their club work and achievements. People began to see there was a value in this thing called Boys\u2019 and Girls\u2019 Club Work. So much so, that Mrs. Pratt was able to report that after just one of these contests, one of her strongest critics was now saying, \u201cI want to see the children try again so that I can encourage them.\u201d<\/p>\n

I hate to say it, but war helped. As bad as war is, World War I was a good thing for 4-H. Just as many states, like Maine, were trying to encourage people to let their children join these new clubs, along came the war. Civilians were asked to do their part in winning the war by producing more for themselves so that the food, clothing, and materiel produced commercially could be used to support the soldiers. Growing their own food and making their own clothes is often what 4-H\u2019ers do, especially true through the decade of the 1910s. So young people joined these clubs as a civic duty and membership jumped greatly.<\/p>\n

Pounding home the point that Club Work was good for kids and the country didn\u2019t hurt either! Thus page one of the June 1918 edition of the brand new newsletter Echoes from Clubdom<\/em> (v. 1, #1), Maine\u2019s first statewide 4-H Newsletter, included,<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t have to be asked. I\u2019m carrying two projects this year.\u201d A short time ago the State Club Leader visited a town in which he organized a club last year after much difficulty. This year one of the boys who had been hard to persuade last season (his parents also objected to give permission for the boy to join the club) greeted the State Worker with the above statement. Moreover, his mother is a club leader this year.<\/em><\/p>\n

The September 1918 edition (v1, #4) reported \u201cone mother has said, \u2018I try to attend every meeting because there I learn so many things I want to know and am ashamed to ask.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The March 1919 edition (v. 1, #10), in the first paragraph, asked its readers to \u201cthink about the future of club work, to consider what its possibilities are and what it should mean to the communities\u2026.\u201d And then it continued with the second paragraph:<\/p>\n

The surest guarantee we have that club work is popular and worthwhile is the continued growth that it has enjoyed. Starting in 1914, under rather adverse conditions and with very few persons to support the movement, the club work today has several thousand youths who are waiting and eager to get into the work for 1919 and scores of men and women who stand ready to be Local Leaders again. Not only is this true, but business men and business organizations are ready to do their part to promote a work found to be worthy of their support.<\/em><\/p>\n

What is the reason for this change in the brief space of five years? There is but one answer to be given and that is that club work has for its one aim to develop the boys and girls of the state\u2026. It is Maine Boys and Girls that we are all aiming to help in any and every way possible; that is why club work has grown so rapidly and is bound hereafter to hold a prominent place. <\/em><\/p>\n

Well, that and the war, but still.<\/p>\n

After the war was over, something needed to be done to keep young people interested in these clubs. More emphasis was placed on the idea of the club, itself. The emblem was in use in Maine by 1915 as was the motto, \u201cTo Make the Best Better.\u201d Clubs around the country were kicking around the idea of a 4-H Pledge. The one that became official in 1927 (I pledge my head to clearer thinking\u2026<\/a>) was introduced to Maine 4-H\u2019ers as a \u201cdandy\u201d pledge from Kansas in 1919 but even as late as 1926 clubs were still creating their own. Here is an offering from 1926, noted in that year\u2019s December issue of Echoes from Clubdom<\/em> (v9, #6, page 1):<\/p>\n

As an earnest club member I dedicate
\nMy hands to honest labor,
\nMy health to useful endeavor,
\nMy head to straight thinking,
\nMy heart to human happiness —
\nAll in devoted loyalty to my club, my community, my State and My Country.<\/p>\n

As they say today, \u201cMeh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nationally, to enhance the \u201csense of club\u201d in addition to the emblem, motto, and pledge, stuff like a 4\u2011H flag, pins, 4-H colors (green and white), and even uniforms were adopted.<\/p>\n

To ensure the educational integrity of the 4-H Club, national standards were developed in 1918. Under these standards, four requirements were suggested to define groups as \u201cofficial\u201d clubs:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. a minimum of five members working on a similar project;<\/li>\n
  2. the presence of an adult local leader;<\/li>\n
  3. democratically elected appropriate officers; and<\/li>\n
  4. the existence of a plan, or program of work, for the year.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In 1919 the Extension Service, United States Department of Agriculture, started issuing CHARTERS to groups that met the four requirements. These charters, although not dated, were signed by the State Club Leader, the State Extension Director, and the Secretary of Agriculture. Then, if it continued to meet these standards, and recorded the following additional accomplishments, the club would receive a National Seal of Achievement to be affixed to their charter annually. Some clubs received their initial Seal with their charter!<\/p>\n

    To receive a Seal of Achievement the clubs needed to hold at least six meetings during the year (Maine further explained that the Club secretary must keep a record of these meetings as well as the progress of each member), hold an annual exhibit, have a team that performs at least one public demonstration program in the community, attain a 60% project completion rate, and hold an achievement day program. Maine also asked for the club to have a judging team chosen by competition among the members and to hold membership in the farm bureau \u201cor other county club organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

    State 4-H Leader Ralph P. Mitchell introduced these standards to Maine in 1919. Clarence Day, Extension Editor Emeritus, in a 1957 unpublished report on Extension in Maine from 1910 to 1950, reported that 32 clubs received charters in 1919, four of them also receiving achievement seals. According to Day, the first Maine Club to receive a charter was the Bridgeton Girls\u2019 Cooking and Housekeeping Club<\/strong>, Eva N. Howard, Leader.<\/p>\n

    \"Photo<\/a>
    Busy Ants Club of Portage Charter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    So, although they were not dated when signed, you can tell approximately when they were issued by who signed the thing. For example, if you go and visit Leisa Plissey in the UMaine Extension Aroostook County\u2019s Houlton office, you can see the charter issued to the Busy Ants Club of Portage<\/strong>! It is signed by Secretary of Agriculture Henry C. Wallace, Extension Director Leon S. Merrill, and State 4-H Leader Lester H. Shibles, dating it to 1921-1924. It has 21 interestingly placed Achievement Seals.<\/p>\n

    Visit Sally Farrell in the UMaine Extension York County office and she\u2019ll show you the charter for the Wells Hustlers 4-H Club<\/strong>. It holds one Seal of Achievement and is signed by Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace, Extension Director Arthur L Deering, and State 4-H Leader KC Lovejoy, dating it to between 1935 and 1940.<\/p>\n

    While in York County, stop by Hazel Goodwin\u2019s place and have a look at the charter issued to the Four Leaf Clover Club of Shapleigh<\/strong>. It\u2019s as old as the charter for the Pioneer Cooking and Housekeeping Club of Machias, which is the next charter to be discussed below. These two charters are similar in that both are signed by the same Secretary of Agriculture and both signatures are so faded they are almost impossible to read. That guy needed better INK!<\/p>\n

    The difference between the two charters is that the Pioneer Cooking holds two achievement seals; the Four Leaf Clover has over 40 — that\u2019s where I lost count. The Four Leaf Clover Club is still active! Different members but still active — 99 years and counting!<\/p>\n

    \"West<\/a>
    West Gorham Victory 4-H Club Charter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Two charters are included in the Page Farm and Home Museum<\/a>\u2019s 4-H Exhibit.<\/p>\n